Interiorly illuminated sign



March 1937- R. G. REGESTER INTERIORLY ILLUMINATED SIGN Filed Feb. 12

IRREGULAR SURFACE ADVERTISING a R yawn T N N R E9 0 Wm w MA G Y MB m UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,074,671 .INTERIORLY ILLUMINATED SIGN Ramsay G. Regester, Philadelphia,

,to Gill Glass 85 Fixture Company, a

of Delaware Pa., assignor corporat on ApplicationFebruary 12, 1936, Serial No. 63,550

Claims.

The present invention relates to interiorly illuminated signs, and is preferably directed toward signs adapted for electric lighting and employing convex, diffusing panels.

According to the prese glass, indicia-bearing nt invention, the preferred form of panel is made of glass, and the desired design is applied the flat state. The glass is and allowed to sink into a to the glass while in then heated in an oven spherical mold so that the glass assumes a contour of a portion of the surface of thesphere. Instead of employing a round convex disc, the

present invention contemplates that a portion of such a round disc should when such a disc is sec be removed so that ured adjacent a back panel of similar shape, there may be a gap between the two panels to admit light.

In the preferred form of construction, the front indicia-bearing panel and back panel are both made of glass, the front panel being translucent, in whole or in part and the rear panel being rendered opaque preferably by mirroring. To avoid the formation of definite images, the back panel is provided with an uneven rear surface. The'two convex panels are secured to a support by a curved band of U-shaped crosssection which embracesthe contiguous edges of the panels and whose ends are support.

secured to the The accompanying drawing shows, for purposes of illustrating the present bodiments in which the form, it being understood invention, several eminvention may take? that the drawing is il lustrative of the inventionratherthan limiting the same.

In the drawing- Fig. 1 is a front elevational of sign with parts in section along the line of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is 2--2 of Fig. 1;

view of one form I-'-l a vertical cross-section on the line Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the sign of Figs. 1

and 2, parts being broken Fig. 4 is a front away;

elevational view of a modified form of sign, with parts in section along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view along the line 5--5 of Fig. 4.

The sign shown in Figs. be supported on a flat surface, such as a table or the like.

The support I0 is in generally rectangular shape.

underneath, as indicated 1 1" and 2 is designed to counter,

the form of a casting of It is hollowfrom n the drawing, and has an opening I I in the upper or top wall Illa. This opening is surrounded by two arc-shaped ridges l2, l2.

The front panel is shown at I3, in Figs. 1-3.

stippling at the lower right-hand portion of Fig. 1

1 of the drawing. This may be accomplished by using suitable vitreous colors.

The diffusing portions of the sign preferably are placed so as to screen off the direct rays from the lamp bulb to be described. Other portions, and preferably the upper part of the sign, as shown inFig. 1, may be transparent, except for details which it is desired to have brought out in outline.

The rear panel I! may be shaped like the front panel and have its lower edge fitted to the seat formed in front of the rear arc-shaped ridge I2 and its front edge adjacent the rear edge of the front panel. When the rear panel is made of glass, it is preferably provided with an irregular rear surface and mirroring. It, however, may be made of any suitable material to form an en.- closure for the lamp bulb to be described, and may, if desired, be made integral with the base. The front and rear panels. l3 and I! are secured to the base or support I!) by means of a curved strap having the cross-section indicated in Fig. 2. This strap embraces the edges of the panels, holds them together, and prevents the exposure of sharp edges of glass.

The ends of the strap 20 are passed down through holes, such as indicated at 2i, and bent over underneath the base casting ID, as indicated at 22. In this manner, the glass parts are securely held in place and the sign may be given an ornamental trimming by plating or otherwise coloring the band.

The opening H in the base is closed by a downwardly removable plate held in place by thumb nuts 26 carried by screws '21. This closure plate carries a lamp socket 28 and lamp bulb 29 for interiorly lighting the sign.

It will of course be understood that in employing the sign of Fig. 1, one can mount it so that the support is at the top or at the side.

In the form shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the panels 30 and 3| are similar to the panels I3 and I1 above described, except that they occupy a larger portion of the area of the circular disc. The support indicated at 32 is therefore much smaller in comparison with the sign. This support is here indicated as being designed for a hanging sign. The panels 30 and 3| are secured in place by a curved U-shaped strap 33 similar to the strap 20 above described. Such a sign is Well adapted to employ a rectilinear light source such as indicated by the tubular lamp or long light bulb shown at 34. This is housed in a support 32 and mounted in the usual socket for this type of lamp. The light rays pass downwardly through the gap or opening provided by cutting away the glass to form the elongated slot indicated at 35.

Where it is desired to provide signs for the glass front of a shape which cannot be conveniently made. by heating a piece of sheet glass and forming it to shape, one can form the panel to the desired shape by blowing it in a mold and then cut the desired part away from the blown object.

It is obvious that the invention may be embodied in many forms and constructions within the scope of the claims, and I wish it to be understood that the particular forms shown are but a few of themany forms. Various modifications and changes being possible, I do not 0 otherwise limit myself in any way with respect thereto.

What is claimed is:

1. An interiorly lighted sign comprising, a support, two convex members carried thereby and having their exposed edges meeting along a plane and the edges adjacent the support spaced apart, one member being translucent and having indicia adapted for interior illumination, a light source carried by the support for lighting the 40 inside of the sign, and asingle curved strap embracing the exposed edges of both of the convex members to hold them together and having its ends secured to the support.

2. An interiorly lighted sign comprising, a support, two convex glass members carried thereby and having their exposed edges meeting along a plane and the edges adjacent the support spaced apart, one member having indicia adapted for interior illumination, the other being mirrored,

a light source carried by the base for lighting the inside of the sign, and a single curved strap embracing the exposed edges of both of the convex members to hold them together and having its ends secured to the support.

3. A sign having a support, a front translucent forwardly convex, indicia-carrying glass panel having the configuration of a segment of a circular area of a spherical surface, and disposed to have its smaller arcuate edge adjacent the support and its longer arcuate edge projecting away from the support, a back shaped similarly to the front panel'and having its longer arcuate edge contiguous thereto, a strap embracing said contiguous edges and securing the parts together, and a lamp carried bythe support and illuminating the space between the front panel and the back.

4. In a sign, a base, an arcuate band of U- shaped cross section having its ends secured to the base, oppositely dished members having contiguous arc-shaped edges within the band and their non-contiguous arc-shaped edges engaging the base, one of the dished members being translucent and carrying indicia, and a light source supported by the base for interiorly lighting the sign.

5. A sign having a front, indicia-carrying, convex, translucent panel having its rear arcuate edge in one plane and a second arcuate edge in a plane at right angles thereto, a similarly shaped back, the first mentioned arcuate edges of the front and back being contiguous, the second arcuate edges being bowed, a support shaped to fit the bowed edges, a band embracing the first mentioned arcuate edges and secured to the support, and a light source carried by the base for lighting the space enclosed between the convex members.

6. A sign comprising a support having two arcshaped seats on the face, an opening of substantial size in the said face, two panels of spherical contour, each having an edge received in one of the arcuate seats and an edge in a vertical plane, the latter-mentioned edges being contiguous, one panel beingopaque and reflecting, the other translucent and bearing indicia, a curved strap enclosing said contiguous edges and holding the panels in place on the support, and a lamp carried by the support for interiorly lighting the sign.

7. A sign as claimed in claim 6, wherein the lamp is carried on a plate which closes the opening in the support.

8. A sign as claimed in claim 6, wherein the support is substantially shorter than the diameter of the panels and the lamp is carried thereby outside the panels and its rays enter the space between the panels.

9. A sign comprising a base having an opening in the upper face, a closure plate detachably secured to the base, two arc-shaped seats on the upper face of the base and on opposite sides of. the opening, the ends of said seats intersecting one another, two panels of spherical contour, one panel being opaque and reflecting, the other translucent and bearing indicia, each having an edge received in one of the seats and an edge in engagement with an edge of the other, a band embracing the contiguous edges of the panels I and having its ends secured to the base, and a lamp socket and lamp carried by the plate and disposed between the panels.

10. A sign comprising a base having an opening in the upper face, a closure plate detachably secured to the base, two arc-shaped seats on the upper face of the base and on opposite sides of the opening, the ends of said seats intersecting one another, two panels of spherical contour, one

panel being opaque and reflecting, the other translucent and bearing indicia, each having an edge received in one of the seats and an edge in engagement with an edge of the other, a band embracing the contiguous edges of the panels, the ends of the band passing through apertures in the base and being bent over against the same, and a lamp socket and lamp carried by the plate and disposed between the panels.

RAMSAY G. REGESTER. 

